Juliet Singer

Juliet Singer helped me a lot throughout Junior and High School. She's one of my role models. Without her, I wouldn't be here. She has helped me like nobody has. I wanted to write this essay about her because I want her to know how much she means to me and how much I love her.

Juliet Singer was my English and Social Studies teacher during F.A. Day for both seventh and eighth grades. On the first day of F.A. Day junior high school, I was a nervous wreck because I was in a new school, I knew nobody. I grew up in Boston School for the Deaf and it was really different. I was used to being in a deaf school and suddenly I was in a hearing school and placed in a deaf program.

"Mike, somebody needs to build up your confidence and make you proud instead of being shy and turning away and blushing!" That's what Mrs. Singer said to me on my first day. It was like she was a psychic or something. I had no confidence because I thought I could never be successful. Believe it or not, I was terribly shy then. I just couldn't look at anybody--except for pretty girls. I just couldn't talk. It was like my communication system broke down. Mrs. Singer knew I was nervous and shy but she kept talking to me. She wanted me to know that there's always someone to talk to.

"And everybody has problems, Mike-- not just you. You may think of yourself as having the only problems or that you are the only one who gets disappointed or discouraged, but just look around and you will see a lot of people are just like you." But Mrs. Singer was also sympathetic. I was having a lot of problems with the school work when I started at F.A. Day. I was not used to it because B.S.D had always been easy for me and not challenging. She desperately wanted to help me. "Everybody excels in some one thing, some in many! All you've got to do is discover what!" She always had the answer to every problem, that made me to trust her a lot more and listen to her advice too. She was always motivating and that is what made her a wonderful teacher and person. After a rocky start, I became Student of the Month during 7th grade. Mrs. Singer deserves all of the credit for that award. I'd bet you if I told her that, she'd probably say, "No, Mike. You worked very hard for that honor."

During eighth grade, more deaf kids came to Day and it was a much better year for me. I was close with Mrs. Singer after seventh grade-- no question about it. The sad part about it was that I knew I had to go on without her after I finished junior high. I thought I'd die without her. I even had some tears in my eyes when the last day of F.A. Day ended. It was very hard for me because Mrs. Singer was my teacher for two years and we were very close.

Towards the end of my freshman year, you wouldn't believe who came to work at the high school! Juliet Singer! I was so excited and glad that she was coming here. During my sophomore year, she interpreted my Biology class. Without her help, I would probably not have done well in that class.

I'll never figure out how Mrs. Singer does all of these things. But I know one thing for sure. When I get my diploma, she will be a major reason for it.